ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday lambasted the whopping increase in prices of petroleum products, and urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to step down by admitting his government's "failure" in giving any relief to the masses during the past two years in power.
Talking to reporters, senior PML-N leaders including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, its parliamentary leader Khawaja Asif, and secretary-general Ahsan Iqbal, described the massive increase in oil prices as "unjustified", and also announced that a joint future strategy would soon be chalked out with other opposition parties.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the "34 percent" increase in prices of petroleum products was not acceptable, adding that it was also not believable, "bringing a 'mini-budget' even before the passage of the federal budget".
"This is not an ordinary issue, as it has no precedent in the country's history," he claimed.
Abbasi said that when the PML-N government came to an end on May 31, 2018, the price of petrol purchased by Pakistan was Rs72.11 per liter, and the government was imposing Rs15.59 per liter tax, and the market price was Rs87.70 per liter.
He said that the international prices were around $70 per barrel at that time.
Today, Abbasi said that the country was purchasing petrol at Rs55.56 per liter, whereas a Rs44.55 per liter tax had been imposed and people were being provided petrol at Rs100.10 per liter.
"The actual price of petrol without taxes is Rs55.56, and if you impose around Rs13 per liter tax, then at this ratio, the price of petrol should be reduced up to Rs35 per liter," he said, adding that the "actual" price of petrol was about Rs67 per liter.
Abbasi said that there was no justification for a massive increase in the POL products' prices, adding that the basic reason was the rise of Rs30 tax per liter. "This is very unfortunate to put such a heavy burden on people at a time when they are suffering due to Covid-19 pandemic, while the economy is presenting a deteriorating look," he lamented.
He said the per liter price of diesel had also been increased by Rs25, and that had also gone beyond the purchasing power of people.
He said the prime minister should have announced in the National Assembly that he had failed to bring the economy back on track. "Now it is before the people that the massive increase in POL products' prices has added the list of failures of this government...the government has actually put the burden of its failures and incompetence over the poor masses," Abbasi maintained.
He said that the rise in POL products' prices would be followed by an increase in the power tariff soon, adding that the power sector was mostly dependent on oil prices, and it would result in a "storm" of price hike in the country.
"Today, a situation has emerged where Imran Khan [as prime minister] and Pakistan cannot coexist. If he [Khan] is given more time, then Pakistan could reach a position, where there will be no chance of return," Asif said.
"There is no one a bigger coward than the one who used to misuse the national institutions for his own vested interest and his own ego...if he has any courage, he should come and admit the failures of the past two years and tender resignation," he maintained, adding that the PTI might elect its new leader.
"The entire country is suffering due to his "ego". This increase in the POL products' prices is a "dacoity", and they did not even wait for June 30th. The heavy burden is not acceptable at all, and the people of the country have no capacity to afford it," Asif said.
He said the opposition parties had already started a process of chalking out a joint future strategy on the issue with a view to uniting people on the single-point agenda of price hike in the past two years. Ahsan Iqbal said that the 34 percent hike in POL prices was unprecedented in the country's history. He said that the huge increase in prices of petroleum products would have a direct impact on people, adding that the country's price index was sensitive due to the POL products' prices.
"If you give a 34 percent increase in petroleum products, it will result in price hike manifolds. It will result in an increase in the cost of production, surge in power tariff, and [cost of] transportation," Iqbal said, adding that the increase was not made because of the international prices, but due to the rise in taxes. "This government has been hijacked by hands of different 'mafias'...it is perhaps due to the reason, the party is returning the money it has received before the elections," he added.
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